MLB: Tanaka dominates in Yankees' win over Twins

Wire reports

Updated 11:34 pm, Saturday, May 31, 2014

NEW YORK - Masahiro Tanaka throws a splitter that drops out of sight, ranks among the major league leaders in many prized pitching categories and appears, so far, to be worth every penny the New York Yankees paid to sign him.

His place in those pinstripes?

Tanaka seems to have a different take than most everyone else.

"No, I don't feel that I'm the ace," he said Saturday through a translator.

Tanaka shut down Joe Mauer and the other Minnesota hitters while lowering his AL-best ERA to 2.06, and Brian McCann lined a go-ahead double in the eighth inning that sent the New York Yankees over the Twins 3-1.

Tanaka (8-1) permitted only an unearned run while striking out nine in eight innings. The heralded rookie from Japan gave up four singles, just two leaving the infield.

Blue Jays 12, Royals 2

Juan Francisco had three hits and four RBIs, Marcus Stroman won his first career start, and host Toronto used a seven-run first inning to rout Kansas City.

Adam Lind went 3-for-5 with three RBIs as the AL East-leading Blue Jays snapped a two-game losing streak and finished May with a record of 21-9.

Braves 9, Marlins 5

Jason Heyward and Freddie Freeman each drove in a pair of runs to help lead Atlanta to a win at Miami.

Nationals 10, Rangers 2

Anthony Rendon went 4-for-5 and hit one of four Washington home runs, and Doug Fister allowed four hits in six innings as the Nationals routed visiting Texas.

Dodgers 12, Pirates 2

Hanley Ramirez homered twice, drove in five runs and scored four times, tying career highs in all three categories and leading host Los Angeles to a rout of Pittsburgh.

Red Sox 7, Rays 1

Rubby De La Rosa pitched seven shutout innings in his first big league start in nearly three years, Brock Holt hit his first career homer, and Boston won its sixth straight with a victory over visiting Tampa Bay.

Cardinals 2, Giants 0

Michael Wacha worked six innings of three-hit ball in his fifth rain-delayed start of the season, and Oscar Taveras homered in his second career at-bat for host St. Louis in a victory over San Francisco.

Indians 7, Rockies 6

Mike Aviles hit a three-run homer in the second and added the go-ahead single in the eighth inning to help Cleveland beat visiting Colorado.

Mets 5, Phillies 4

David Wright had an RBI single with two outs in the 14th inning, leading New York to a victory at Philadelphia in the second straight marathon game between the teams.